Ender's game question chapters 1-5

Chapter 1 – Third
1. What attitude motivates the adults to lie to Ender?
The attitude that motivates the adults to lie to Ender is to test him and see if he can handle himself without the monitor, and he did so they also lied to him about not going into battle school, but only for a day. This attitude was an attitude to try to save the world, Graff and the fleet need a commander to save the human race next time the buggers invade, and so they needed to test Ender.

2. Explain what it seems to mean for Ender to be born a "Third". Show whether this is
a negative or positive fact to: What it means for Ender to be born a third is that he is an outcast to the world, and to his parents a mark of what they want because of religion and can't have because of the government's rules. His parents still love him, but he is a mark of shame. Ender would be illegal to the government except that they need a genius to lead the International Fleet, and Ender's parent's genes mix to create Geniuses. To his brother, Peter this is a mark that he failed to become the leader of IF, and he is not good enough. Peter hates Ender because of this and is very jealous of him. Ender's sister, Valentine loves Ender unconventionally, and doesn't care that he is a third. To his classmates Ender is an outcast, and a sign that they are all stupid compared to him, thirds are illegal in this country, because of overpopulation and the war with the Buggers, so Ender stands for bad things to his classmates.

Chapter 2 – Peter
1. Was Peter joking when he threatened Ender and Valentine?  Support your answer
with evidence from the novel. I don't think Peter was joking when he threatened Ender and Valentine even though he said he wasn't. I think the only reason he said he was joking was because Valentine threatened him back, " I do mean it" Peter said " whatever you think I mean it." referring to the fact of hurting or killing Ender.
Valentine : "Oh, yes," said Valentine "They'll believe that: 'I didn't know it would kill Andrew. And when he was dead, I didn't know it would kill Valentine too." Peter replies with the defensive response: " Not a joke a game. I can make you guys believe anything." I think Peter said this Because he was afraid of Valentine's threats.

2. Why is Peter’s behavior at the end of the chapter so completely different from the
rest of the chapter? I think Peter's behavior at the end of the chapter is so completely different because he actually regrets the way he is, but he can't help it. I also think that being cruel is just his shell , and for some reason he doesn't want people to think he is soft, so he goes too far in the other direction. He obviously told Ender he is sorry and he loves him then, because he thought he was sleeping.

3. How do you feel about each of these characters (Ender, Valentine, Peter)?  What
did the author do to help create these feelings?  I feel pity for Peter because he seems completely evil and mean, but at the end of chapter two he says how he is "...sorry, I'm sorry, I know how it feels, I'm sorry, I'm your brother, I love you."(15)He apologizes to Ender about the way he is, and this makes me feel bad for him, although I still dislike him.
I feel respect, and awe to Ender, and also like I am similar to him, because in a lot of books the Author tries to make the protagonist relatable  so you can get into the character's shoes better and enjoy the story. I feel awe for Ender because he is a six year old who, is bored in class because he learned arithmetic at three years old. I respect him for the same reason, he is a genius.
The author doesn't let you get to know Valentine very well, but the way I feel about her is like a child's feeling towards a mother. I also feel like she is very kind. I feel this way because she is very nurturing to Ender, and protects him from Peter.  I also think she has a very strong bond with Ender because when he left she was very sad. "he heard Valentine's anguished cry. Come back to me I love you forever!"(26)

Chapter 3 – Graff
1. What did Graff mean about evolution working against girls? 
What Graff meant about evolution working against girls is that girls have evolved to be strong with childbirth, but they have evolved with weaker muscle development and strength because in the human race men are naturally stronger, and have evolved to protect the women. Also our technologies evolved many men and some women thought and think that because women are weaker they need to stay at home and perform tasks such as cooking and cleaning, so they have also evolved a small amount to perform those tasks, so they are still weaker in this less sexist time. This means that Men are more fit to work in the IF because they are physically superior to women.




2. Ender is leaving to learn how to fight a war, yet he takes Graff's hand. Why does
Orson Scott Card (OSC) include this action? I think OSC includes this action, because it shows Ender isn't as hard as rock, and he is still a little bow vulnerable to emotions like fear, and anxiety. I also think this action is included because it is one of Ender's last human lovey dovey moment.

Chapter 4 – Launch
1. Explain the meaning of the following statement: “Individual human beings are tools
that the others use to help us all survive.” The meaning of this statement, is that to the whole of the the human race one very talented person is just a tool for everyone to survive. The battle school is training Ender to be the ultimate battle commander, on the other side of this training, the battle school is training Ender to be the ultimate tool against the buggers A.K.A the ultimate tool for the survival of humans.

2. Explain the following quote: "Isolate him enough that he remains creative -
otherwise he'll adopt the system here and we'll lose him." Your answer should
include the terms: isolation, creative, adopt, lose. This quote means that if Ender adopts the system at the battle school he will lose his creativity, this means that he will become a leader of group but depend on other people in his group, gain friends, and get caught in the drama and hardship of battle school. The way Graff wants to solve this problem is by isolating Ender from his group every time he adopts and makes friends with his war games comrades.

3. Did Ender mean to break the other boy’s arm?  What does this incident tell us about
Ender?  Is it acceptable to do despicable things for survival?  Why or why not? Ender consciously didn't mean to break the other boy's arms but subconsciously he did mean to break his arm, because it would stop his attempts to annoy Ender. What this incident tells about Ender is that he can be brutal if provoke, and he doesn't like to permit intolerable things done to him at all. I think it's acceptable to do despicable things for survival because it is human nature to survive no matter what, and if someone provokes, they're usually trying to get a response, and if you respond violently they were kind of asking for it.


Chapter 5 – Games
1. Ender works hard to express his feelings in private and not show homesickness in
front of any other person. Is it healthy for him or not?   What is positive and what is
negative about showing feelings?  What is positive and what is negative about not
showing feelings? I think it is unhealthy for Ender to not show homesickness, because if he kept his grief and sorrow to himself it makes the grief and sorrow worse if he is alone with your negative thoughts.      what's negative about showing feelings is that others may think Ender is weak. What's positive about showing feelings is that others can relate to Ender and help him with his grief and he can make it through his hard times. What's negative about not showing feelings is that he will suffer with his grief. What's positive about not showing feelings is that others won't know that Ender has grief, and won't think he is weak because they won't find out.

2. How did Ender beat Bernard?  Is this an unusual solution to his problem? Ender's beats Bernard by creating a fake account on the desk messaging system and humiliating him with insults that everyone enjoys. This is an unusual solution to the problem because Ender solves this problem with his intelligence, instead of his physical abilities and in the end he discovers that using his brain works better.

3. List the different coping mechanisms (ways of dealing with difficulties) Ender
shows. For each one describe whether the overall result of each is helpful or
harmful to Ender. 
Ender's first coping mechanism is using his brain, he beats Bernard by using his wit and intellectual skill and the results are more satisfying. overall the result is helpful to Ender.
Ender's second coping mechanism is using violence. Using violence Ender put the bully in the hospital  and got Bernard to stop pestering him on the shuttle. Overall the result of this is harmful to Ender, because he feels evil after performing these acts, and it doesn't always permanently solve the problem.
Ender's third coping mechanism is hiding his feelings and counting the numbers. Ender hides is feeling of homesickness, and sorrow of missing Valentine from the other boys, and he also counts the numbers in his head till the feeling passes. Overall this is a slight bit more helpful than harmful to Ender, because it keeps the other boys from thinking he is weak but it also causes him to try to ignore his other problems in the future. the habit of ignoring your problems can be detrimental to his life, health, the saving of the human race, because if he is iced out of battle school, the human race is almost surely doomed to annihilation from the buggers.

Ender's Game Anticipation Guide

"Lying is Justifiable if it's for the greater good." 
      I rated this a two, because I don't think lying is acceptable unless it is for something very important, that if isn't lied about it will be catastrophic to many people. Although the person or group of people one is lying to (even lying to save the world) will be angry at the person or people lying to them.

   

"Sometimes violence is the only way to solve a problem." 
      I rated this a two, because usually there is a way around solving a problem using violence, although it is harder to accomplish your goal and can take more effort to solve the problem nonviolently. The only reason one should use violence to solve a problem, if they already tried to solve it nonviolently and it didn't work, although if you're trying to solve a problem in your life easily, violence is the way to go. Also certain people don't want to listen to words, and so a problem if that type of person is the issue, the problem must be solved with violence.

"It is okay to kill someone in self-defense." 
     I rated this a four, because I agree with this statement but there are certain situations where you don't want to kill your attacker. Most of the time if someone is trying to harm and maybe kill or molest you, and you can stop them, they usually deserve to be killed and if you're okay with the moral and legal consequences then go ahead. There are situations like if your attacker is an insane family member or someone under the influence, you still love them and they're still apart of the family, you most likely don't want to kill them.

  "Words are stronger than fists." 
        I rated this a four. I think most of the time you can persuade your enemy or opponent to make a treaty with you to solve the problem. Also if you're trying to get a large group of people to believe in you or your argument it is easier to convince them with words then to have them all subdued by violence. Also the people you convince if you use violence aren't believing in you or your argument on their own accord, so they will hate you even if they have to support you, but if you convince them with words it is their own decision so they will really believe in you or your argument. Once you subdue someone with violence if you want anyone else to believe in you, you have to subdue them with violence too, because after seeing you do it they will dislike you and won't be convinced by your words. 

"Bullies hurt others because they have low self esteem."  
      I rated this a three, because I could go either way with this point. This is definitely the text book argument of why kids bully, but I think they also bully, because they feel superior and they're in control, or because they like the feeling of others fearing them. So I do agree with this argument, but I think there are many other reasons one would bully other people.

"Only the best and brightest students should receive the best education to become a nation's leaders." 
     I rated this a four, because I agree with this statement. Although I think there is a small  whole in this statement, because If a person proves that even though they're not the smartest or richest people they can still lead, then obviously they deserve to lead. The reason I agree with this statement, is because usually the brightest of people have good decision making skills. I think it seems prejudice for me to think this, and I know I am somewhat wrong, but it is easier for the smarter people to handle the hard school.  A lot of smart people work under pressure in the harder classes, so they're used to working under pressure in school so it is easier for them to handle pressure in leading a nation.

"Revenge is never justified." 
     I rated this a two, meaning I disagree with this statement. I think most of the time revenge isn't justified, because the people getting revenge have clouded judgement and do not know the whole story of the person they're getting revenge on, and why they acted as they did in the first place. Or for example a Jewish person wanting to get revenge and hurt the modern day,2013, Germans isn't justified because they weren't there for the holocaust it was their ancestors, so they didn't make that decision. They don't deserve the harm the person might inflict on them.

"Crying is evidence of weakness."
    I strongly disagree with this statement. I feel this way because someone cries out of joy or sorrow, and it is just a simple emotion expressing tool. If someone is crying because another person close to them died they're not crying out of weakness, they're crying because it expresses how much they cared about that person, and how sad they are that they're gone.

"Any action is acceptable in war." I rated this a one, because I strongly disagree with this statement. I feel this way because even if it's war time and your country is suffering and in a bit of a financial depression, doesn't mean you can go around robbing people, because of the lack of authority. Also if your a solider, even if you hate the countries government, and their choices, it doesn't mean one can rape and pillage the country's citizens. It is not the citizens fault for what their country has done. None of those acts among other war time activities are acceptable.

"Teenagers need discipline and rules because they can't control themselves." I rated this a three, because I think teenagers need discipline and rules, but not because they can't control themselves. I think they need rules and discipline because they're learning how to function in the world, and without rules they would go crazy with their freedom. The act of that much freedom without rules, would mess up the development of their developing brains.

"Only through personal sacrifice can someone create positive change." I rated this a two, because I disagree. Someone can make positive change without personal sacrifice, although it takes a lot of work. It is almost easier to have a little personal sacrifice, but not too much because than the positive change is poisoned by your own unhappiness.   

"Generating compassion for your enemies is the only way to create peace." I rated this a five, because I strongly agree with this statement. I feel the way I do, because  even the signing of a peace treaty is generated by some form of compassion. If one tried to create peace with their enemy by completely destroying them, it would fail. An enemy always has family or allies to avenge them, so by trying to create peace this way one would just create more enemies. If one cannot generate compassion for their enemy at least a sliver of forgiveness is necessary to create peace.  

My Learning Style

I am an Interpersonal Learner

my mantra: I understand what you mean.

Interpersonal learners thrive on social interaction. Friends often ask you for advice because you are understanding and in tune with the people around you and their motives, emotions, perspectives, and moods.

Your ability to manage relationships helps you understand situations and take a leadership role when necessary. You enjoy teaching and sharing your thoughts.

Careers that require insight and the ability to read what someone else is thinking or feeling -- such as teaching, psychology, or sales -- would be a great match for those with interpersonal intelligence.

Tips for the way you learn:

• Give and receive feedback.
• Talk out problems.
• Work on large-group projects so you can use your social abilities to divide up tasks and understand all aspects of the project.
• Be a part of active learning through mentoring, tutoring, or an apprenticeship. This activity will reinforce your own knowledge or abilities.

  
  

  I am an Intrapersonal Learner

  my mantra: To thy own self be true.
  Intrapersonal intelligence has been said to be the road to achievement, learning, and personal satisfaction. You are connected to who you are and how you feel, and you know your own limits and abilities. You often set goals for yourself, self-manage, and reflect on results.
  Those with intrapersonal intelligence do well in careers where self-management is important, such as being a writer, a teacher, a counselor, a police officer, or a pilot.

  Tips for the way you learn:

  • Study alone in a comfortable yet quiet environment.
  • Set goals for yourself, and monitor your progress regularly.
  • Reflect on what you have learned, and think through new material.
  • Create a connection between new material and subjects you already know, and gain understanding by finding their similarities.

    
    

    I am a Verbal-Linguistic Learner

    my mantra: Tell me in words -- written or spoken -- and I will understand.
    Verbal-linguistic intelligence (along with logical-mathematical intelligence) is often associated with doing well in school. You have the ability to use words effectively for reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The poet has been described as the epitome of verbal-linguistic intelligence.

    Tips for the way you learn:

    • Use words to explain complicated subjects.
    • Ask questions.
    • Engage in the Socratic method, digesting information through a question-and-answer exchange.
    • Hone your native ability to tell a story.

Feedback:

       I got a 69% Interpersonal learner. I think this rather fitting learning style for me. I do like to give and receive feedback and talk about my problems. It is a bit startling on how accurate this quiz is on how I learn. I'm very glad I took this quiz because even though I knew that this is mainly how I learn, I also learned the specifics of being an Interpersonal learner. I really appreciate the mantra "I understand what you mean." Because this is very true to my life. Sometimes I have trouble working on things alone, but when I work with another person our combined brain power can get the job done. I enjoy working on assignments with others, although some of the career paths are not what I'm looking for. I really am not interested in getting into teaching and psychology doesn't really catch my eye, but I could get into sales. What I really want to get into is law, but maybe it's not for me. I got 47% intrapersonal leaner, and I wasn't very surprised  This learning style doesn't describe how I learn so much, but it describes some of the ways I am outside of school. It also said I should study alone in a quiet yet comfortable environment, and when I am not working with others on work this is exactly what I like to do.  I got 53% verbal-linguistic learner and this is another way I learn, but usually I use this way to learn when I need help on a homework assignment. I also think this is a strong character trait I have, because I really enjoy reading, so I like to say and hear complex and intelligent words, and from reading I am always learning new ones.

A Bad Day for a Swim

My family and I were laying on the river-side relaxing. It was getting later in  the day, and the temperature was cooling down from 80°F to about 75°F. Little did we know our day was about to get a whole lot worse. My two year old brother, Grant, launched himself off the shore, sinking faster than I thought possible. How naive we were, to think a little toddler wouldn’t do something stupid. It was like my brain malfunctioned, I didn’t know what to do and I was quite dumbfounded at the time to what had happened. My father’s voice rang out like a gunshot

“Who is going af-..”

“I’ll go”, my Mom hastily spat out the words before diving in the ominously calm, dark water. If you don’t know my mom, she seems very calm but she is a very nervous person, and like all mothers she has that sixth sense that tells when her children are in danger. She was practically in the water before Grant. My mom isn’t the strongest swimmer around, she doesn't even like to swim all the way across the river to the jumping rocks,but I think the adrenaline with her baby being in danger gave her an inhuman amount of strength and courage. Time slowed to a stop. Mom was underwater searching for what seemed like eternity, the fear twisting a sickly black knot inside my stomach, poisoning the vacation. I could see her under the water looking and feeling around for Grant, the bubbles floating up to the surface and exploding, my brother’s lifeline slowly ticking away. I could hear my heart beating in my ears, and the adrenaline gave me superhuman senses. I could taste the dusty dry air. I could feel the atmosphere buzzing with the tide of mosquitoes that come with the dark, and worst of all I could see the events unfolding in front of me. I could tell my dad was torn between staying on shore or joining the frantic search for my brother. I remember thinking to myself: My brother is so little, let him live through this safely. Time was running out,

“Dad, can babies hold their breath?” I quietly asked

My father muttered an unenthusiastic”yes.”

Grant just wanted to swim like the rest of us, but he doesn’t know how, and he doesn’t float. Then Mom plunged out of the water like a superhero with my brother in her arms and time snapped back into place.

“Wow, you saved him!”, I said breaking the silence. Mom is so great, she saved my little baby brother, my four year old consciousness thought. My mom in all her heroic glory sat down with her baby boy cradled in her arms. The sweet smell of the air and beauty of the impending dusk seemed to mockingly laugh at us, as if to tell us about how our day had almost come to a tragic end.

My dad said what we were all thinking, “let’s go back to the campsite, make dinner, and try to relax.”

That was my summer vacation nine years ago. My family was out camping in Petrolia, California. It was a majestic day, with the sun beating down like mighty Hephaestus, with Petrolia in the grips of his furnace. I can remember the conversations before that terrible turn of events.

    “I’m so glad we could take this family trip, I love being together” my Dad said blissfully.

“ Yeah, and the weather is so hot it’s great, it makes the water so refreshing.” My mom replied. At four years old I was quite talkative, but I have never really told anyone about this situation. Even at four I had a photographic memory and so to this day I am still haunted by that traumatic incident. I don’t hate Petrolia, in fact we have gone back many times after that event, but slowly it has seem to pull it’s tendrils of memories and experiences out of our lives. We haven't gone back there in at least five years and I am glad,because I think even if it is a nice relaxing place, it will always be the place where my brother almost drown. Despite that I am still haunted by this experience. It seems like just a memory now, and in my minds eye it could easily be a very realistic dream instead of a real life event.

My weekly media use

My Media life is like...

Alchemist journal 3 final draft

October 4th, 2012

Garrett Kitchen

True Love has no boundaries

“You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his personal legend. If he abandons that pursuit, it’s because it wasn’t true love.... the love that speaks the Language of the World.”

If you truly love someone you trust them. You trust them to leave and come back, you trust them not to forget you even when you’re not there. Most of all you trust them to believe in your love  and trust that they won’t come to harm. “if he abandons that pursuit, it’s because it wasn’t true love...” I think this means, that you know it isn’t true love if your significant other doesn’t trust you to leave and come back or leave and stay honest to the relationship. Although I do think everything has it’s boundaries, it’s limitations. If you leave on a journey and are gone for a few years or if you're gone and you have no contact whatsoever with your true love be it by call, email, letter, or by soul. For example when Santiago is back at the church (towards the end of the book)  he smells Fatima's perfume and feels her kisses, well that is true love. Santiago can be world away, yet still communicate with Fatima.

I think after reading this book I could let someone I truly I love seek out their Personal Legend. I also think that I could only withstand so much separation before I needed to see that person that I love. An example of letting Loved ones seek out their Personal Legend is parents letting their kids move out. Even though it is seen as just growing up when a person moves out of home it is letting go of a lot. Although, I think kids leaving home is a very different type of leaving. That kind of love that you have for your parents and that you have for your True Love are different. The Kind of love you have for your parents and that your parents have for you is the kind that will always be there, no matter what. The kind of love you have for your partner is similar.  If you left your partner for as long as you leave your family, your relationship may have some leftover, but the physical relationship and the soul link will most likely be gone. The significant similarity between the two is that they are both very true and both speak the Language of the World.

Alchemist journal 2 final draft

Garrett Kitchen

9/19/2012

It Is Written

“We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it’s our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand.”(78)

        I think this quote has two meanings. If only one meaning came out of everything, only a few people would get that meaning. The same things mean different things to different people. I am going to write both the meanings I was fortunate enough to see. Even if I only I interpreted the meanings, because That’s what I wanted to see. For showing me these two interpretations.
        I think the first meaning this quote signified is that a higher power wrote the history of the world and our life stories. The second meaning I saw in this quote was that you helped write the history of the world because things you do become history, and your apart of the Soul of the World. Of course if you wrote the history of the world then you're writing your life story, and that’s a part of the soul of the world.
        This applies to Santiago in the sense that God/Soul of the World wrote Santiago’s personal legend, but at the pivotal point in his life he needed to realize his personal legend, When Santiago is reaching his personal legend, it isn’t all the King of Salem, and beginners luck. In fact mainly it’s Santiago fulfilling his personal legend. So in a sense, at least for Santiago he realizes the history of the world and his life story are written by him and God, but doesn’t it say in the book, that we all are a part of the Soul of the World and apart of God? If you think of it in this way, it is all written in the same hand.
        This applies to my life, because everyone wrote the history of the world and each person wrote their own life story along with God and The Soul of the World. If we’re all apart of God and The Soul of the world we are all in a certain sense the same being. No matter what our differences are every human has a primal belief in something whether it is God in any shape or form(s), a higher power, spirituality, or Atheism. Before we come into this world, when we’re in it, and after this world we can all be a part of The Soul of the World. We can all be one with each other. Don’t get me wrong, we obviously are all different, but I’m talking on the deepest/highest plane of spirituality we are all together, united as one. That’s outlook on this whole life changing scrap of knowledge.

Alchemist Journal 1 final draft

Garrett Kitchen

Wednesday, Sept 12th, 2012

The Marvels and Responsibilities of Life

“ The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.” (34)

    I have a few dreams and ambitions in life, but it’s hard for me to know which are the “drops of oil’ and which are my marvels of the world. My biggest  goal or dream,(which of all my dreams is the hardest to accomplish) is to go to Harvard and become a lawyer. If I can’t get into Harvard, then i would like to go to an I.V. league college on the East Coast. Going there would most likely get me in with a good law firm, and if I could turn that into a job I could most likely get a steady income going.
    Eventually, I would like to propose to my girlfriend of that time when I’m in love with her, and start a family. All this is subject to change, this is just what I want now, but maybe in a few years I’ll feel different, I realize now that for a lot of people these are the drops of oil on the spoon, which means that all I want to focus on is the drops of oil. For me seeing the marvels of the world is spending time off of work or school, and just doing what I love with the ones I love. I want to travel, and I would like to travel with someone I love.
    To keep the drops on the spoon, and to see the marvels of the world, I need to keep my academics up, and to try my best to always take time to just enjoy myself. To enjoy myself, and stay in contact with my family later on in life. I need to never lose sight of who I truly am, and my outlook on life and the world. I know as I learn new things and grow older I will Change. I know I will change as a person and as a part of the spirit of the world. But I never want to become, one of the people I fear or hate, and I never want to ignore my personal legend. I want to fulfill my personal legend, and live a happy prosperous life in the shoes of whoever I’m going to be.  
   
   

Trash Questions Round two

1. Read the paragraph on pg 149 that begins with, "I learned more than any university could ever teach me."  What do you think about Olivia's perspective about money?  How do you think her experience at the Behala dumpsite has changed her?          I think that Olivia’s perspective on money is sadly true. I think that She uses a great example of money, that it is like water. Although is a disagree when she says money is more important than trust and love to most people. Maybe in Behala it is, but for most people if the trust and love or bond is strong enough it is more important than money. I think that it has changed her for the better and worse. for the better because she got to help unfortunate children and people, ad she now knows the truth about third world countries. It has changed her for the worse because on the other side of that scale she is also scarred by the raw truth of poverty. Another reason Olivia is changed for the worse is that she can never go back to behala, so she most likely feels sad she can’t go back and help more unfortunate children.







2. Read the four newspaper articles on pages 186 - 189.  Which one has the most liberal or anti-Zapanta perspective?  Which one has the most conservative or pro-Zapanta perspective?  Use examples from each article to support your opinion.              I think the university voice is the most anti- Zapanta news article. the Article talks about how this country could mover forward but not until they say goodbye to bad, greedy old men. The author of the article even says he would add this quote to Zapanta’s campaign slogan “The most questionable conscience and the blackest heart”.  I think Star extra is the most pro-Zapanta Article. Although this article is more informational and less opinionated. I also think the Author is blind to the truth that Zapanta is a liar and thief. For example, the author says “All we can say is that we are confident that a breakthrough is imminent.”The author says this about the stolen six million dollar police case. I think this means that the author is confident that the police will catchy the thief and Zapanta will get his justice, the author says this like it is a good thing.







3. Describe the scene at the cemetery during day of the dead. Why do you think the author, Andy Mulligan, would end the book in this setting?        I think Andy Mulligan would end the book in this setting because cemeteries are places of death but also good things like the death is the end of someones life, and the end of the book is at a cemetery a place of death. Understand what I'm trying to say. I also think that  the author would have it be the day of the dead because the day of the dead is a time of remembrance and love of your family that has moved on. I think it was smart of Andy Mulligan to have it be the day of the dead, because the boys find Pia Dante sitting right by her grave. It’s like she coming back to life, on the day of the dead! Even though she was
never actually dead.

Escape from Behala

Escape from Behala

caged in poverty

trapped in the trash

imprisoned by the powerful concrete of corruption

surrounded by rubbish nowhere to go

a soul with a passport

the key to escape

run away from the stupp and the broken dreams

you have solved the mystery

Trash Response Questions

Trash Response Questions

1. Describe the conditions in the prison.  Why do you think children would be locked up there?   The condition in the prison was heinous the government doesn’t give money to the prison so the prison don’t have any air conditioning or fans. Also the prisoners don’t get any food, so their families are camped outside the prison and smuggle them food in when they can. Children would be locked up in the prison because they stole things or fought each other, also the whole system there in the city is completely corrupt.
2. How were Olivia and Gardo able to get a visit with Olondriz?   Olivia and gardo were able to get into the prison to see Olondriz, because Olivia is not a citizen in that country and they were dressed like upper class people. Another reason they got in was for an exceedingly high price of ten thousand pesos, Olivia had to that much because she basically had to bribe the people who run the prison. Gardo also said that Olondriz was his Grandfather and he needed to visit him now.
3. What were the few things that Raphael learned about Rat that he "had never known and never asked about”?  Raphael learned that Rat had a stash of two thousand pesos and counting because Rat wanted to eventually save up enough money to go home, Rat’s actual home. Rat’s actual home is an island called “Sampalo”. Of course two thousand is enough to get there, but Rat would also need enough money for a fishing boat so he could make a living and actually stay there.
4. What does the gardener tell Raphael and Rat?  The gardener tells Raphael and Rat that he has spoke to the vice presidents twice in the twenty two years he has worked there. He also said that multiple police cars have been coming to the house every day. another thing the gardener told the boys was that Jose Angelico had smuggled the Six Million Dollars out in an old fridge that he had replaced.
5. What would you do with six million dollars?  What I would do with Six Million Dollars is give one million to my parents five hundred thousand to my brother and two hundred fifty thousand each to my two Grandmas. fro the rest of the people in my family I'd give one thousand each. by then i would have about four million, nine hundred seventy five thousand dollars left. I would then invest one million in stock, and buy company for up to two point five million. after that i would have about one million two hundred fifty thousand left that i would use for whatever.

The War of Technology

The War of Technology

By Garrett Kitchen

           Which side will you take in the war? The war between Mac and PC! The war between the iPhone 4 and the Droid X, and I want to pick a side in this war. Although the side I should pick, is still unclear. That’s why is searched for an “iPhone 4 vs. Droid X comparison chart” and came up with “iPhone 4 vs. Droid X head to head comparison on a tech site called the “PCWorld”. I’d like to access the Internet, play games, listen to music, and take pictures and video, text, call, and more. All on one of these remarkable Phones (or as my dad likes to call them “Gadgets”). So I ask. Which Smart Phone is the best?   

           What type of physical properties do these phones have? Well let’s find out. The Droid X has a 4.3” display size (screen) versus the iPhone’s 3.5” display. Another major physical property of the display is resolution. The iPhone Tops the Droid X with a crystal clear 640 x 960p, although the Droid X’s 480 x 854p is still pretty clear. The next Physical characteristic that these phones clash for is there cameras. The Droid X has a startling 8MP and 720p video capabilities and for the icing on the cake, a Duel LED flash. The iPhone 4 ha a puny 5Mp camera, but it does have 720p video capabilities, and frankly there is no icing with just LED flash. So hands down the Droid X wins the battle of the Cameras.

            The nest comparison category is memory and software. The iPhone 4 has a speedy 512MB RAM Memory, just like the Droid X. But the Droid X has 8GB on board but it also comes with a 16GB micro SD as the expandable storage, making the Droid X in total come with 32GB of storage. The iPhone on the other hand comes with either 16 or 32 Gigabyte on board storage depending on which one you buy. But the iPhone has no option of expandable storage. So once again it’s a tie. The last but not least software addition is the processor and of course both Phones have a 1GHz processor.

The final comparison category is extras. The Droid X can generate a wifi hotspot when the iPhone 4 cannot, and the Droid X has up to 8 hours of talk in 1 battery life and has 3 microphones, and the iPhone 4 has only 7 hours of talk time and 2 microphones. Both smart phones have a GPS. the iPhone 4 has 225,000 apps in its App Store and the Droid X only has 65,000 int its store. a major plus to the droid x is it has SWYPE technology in its keyboard where the iPhone 4 doesn’t.

When I asked “Which Smart Phone is best?” i didn’t know the answer, but now I do. I choose the Droid X. What really sealed the deal and made me choose the Droid X over The iPhone 4 was the Droid X has a bigger screen, and it’s not an Apple product like the iPhone 4(I’m a PC person). Also like I said previously the Droid X generates a Wifi Hotspot, it has a superior camera, it has one more mic, it has a longer battery , and it has SWYPE technology for the keyboard. There are few things I will miss that the iPhone has like the Droid X has no face time camera, not a lot of on board memory, not as light a the iPhone, and the iPhone appstore has more apps. So overall I chose the Droid X, but others may choose differently.Which side will you fight for in The War of Technology?      

Bobby's Respect

Bobby’s Respect

By Garrett Kitchen

Some might wonder what it would be like to stand up to school bullies.

To respect themselves and their classmates enough to just take a stand, well that’s exactly what characters in this book do. The Misfits by James Howe is a novel about a group of four seventh grade friends who call themselves “The Gang of Five” or “The Misfits”. The main character, Bobby9 (the main character), is among this dynamic group of friends. This particular group of friends decides to run for student government. The Misfits is a beautiful well crafted story about the journey of “outcasts” whom overcome bullying and name calling at their school in the quaint little town of Paintbrush Falls, New York. Even though in the beginning of the story Bobby has trouble with respecting others and respecting himself, Bobby gains self respect and respect for others as the novel goes on.
          Bobby doesn’t show respect to himself or others early on in the book. Bobby shows such little respect; he doesn’t even respect his boss Mr. Kellerman. Throughout the book Bobby even calls Mr. Kellerman Killer Man “It is not that I hate Mr. Kellerman, not even that I even dislike him anymore, but I can’t help it. I hope that those two things are all we have in common and all we ever will.”(207). this shows is Bobby doesn’t really understand Mr. Kellerman and doesn’t like him very much and to show this Bobby is disrespectful to him. Bobby isn’t respectful to himself either. For example Bobby thinks: “yeah right. A pretty girl even one, who is socially handicapped like Kelsey Scoggins, does not like a boy like me. And what is a boy like me you might ask? Even if you did not know, I will tell you: a boy like me is fat.”(80). this shows Bobby has low self esteem and disrespects himself, because of his own image. So what Bobby is saying here is that he feels girls will think he is not good looking, and will not want to date him because he is overweight. So gathering from Bobby’s thoughts, he doesn’t respect himself. I think some of the reasons he has low self esteem is because his mother is dead and his father is an ex-alcoholic. Also Bobby is constantly being insulted about his weight and social status from the bullies in his school.

Later in the book Bobby is beginning to respect Mr. Kellerman as a coworker and person and respecting himself as a human being. For instance Mr. Kellerman states “sorry I can’t help with your speech Bobby.” To which I say “You already have.”  What this goes to show is Bobby is letting Mr. Kellerman in and letting him try to help Bobby with his speech. He now has enough respect for Mr. Kellerman that his subconscious mind allowed Robert Kellerman to inspire his speech. As the book goes on Bobby begins to show respect for himself. An example of this is a few sentences of dialogue between Bobby and Addie (on of Booby’s friends). Bobby: “do you really think I can do it?”  Addie: “Absolutely. You’ll be brilliant” I look at Addie and see that she is being serious. Bobby: “okay,” I tell her. “Okay.” (235). What this reveals is Bobby is gaining enough self respect and self esteem to stand up in front of the whole school and read the No Name Party’s speech, which Bobby himself wrote. This reveals that Bobby’s self respect is high enough to take the risk of reading a speech in front of the whole school. Also the whole school cheering for Bobby after he finished reading his speech boosts his self esteem majorly.

          In The Misfits, James Howe shows the importance of respect through Bobby Goodspeed and his attitude toward others and himself. Respect towards others and their self has been portrayed in many people’s lives, plenty of books, and throughout history. The Misfits portraits the story of kids everywhere standing up to those same bully's who beat them down with names and physical abuse. “Sticks and stones will break our bones, but names will break our spirits” is the running campaign for the no name party, and is very true. Names can break the spirit, but bully’s only hurt other people because their jealous of them or admire them as a person and it makes them angry. So if there are bully’s harming people, show them who’s boss, stand up for the insulted people of the world.

Future technology

Future Technology
By Garrett Kitchen

         I use technology in many ways.  For example: the school, the bathroom, my house, electricity, etc.. The type of electronic technology i use is my iPod, my cellphone, my Xbox 360, my T.V., and  my computer, but there is much much more.  I think in twenty years cars will hover, and there will be hologram interactive computers, I think we as humans will be more lazy because there will be robots to do things for us. In fifty years we will have colonized other planets, and probably used up earths resources.  We will no longer dwell on earth, and we will time travel because we will have machines that go the speed of light.  We'll be able to teleport to other places with our science discoveries. I think the future ahead of us is promising and happy, but the road leading to it dark.